News and notes from each week of NASCAR racing using a Las Vegas oddsmaking perspective

Monday, November 14, 2011

Homestead-Miami Odds & Ends: Ford 400

At Homestead-Miami Speedway:

History

·Groundbreaking for Homestead-Miami Dade Motorsports Complex – as the track was originally named – began Aug. 24, 1993. The first race was a NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Nov. 5, 1995.

·The original configuration was a four-turn, rectangular oval based on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's layout.

·The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Homestead was held on Nov. 14, 1999.

·2002 was the first season of the Championship Weekend at Homestead, with all three of NASCAR’s national series holding their season finale at the same track.

Notebook

·Since the inception of the position-based points system in 1975, only three drivers have made up a points deficit in the season finale: Richard Petty in 1979 (made up two points on Darrell Waltrip), Alan Kulwicki in 1992 (made up 30 points on Davey Allison) and Jimmie Johnson in 2010 (made up 15 points on Denny Hamlin).

·There have been 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Homestead, one per season since 1999.

2016 Rundown· Four wins, 17 top fives, 24 top 10s,· Led 1378 laps· Average Finish of 11.6Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:· One win, two top fives, four top 10s· Average finish of 21.091, 23rd-best· Average Running Position of 14.792, 13th-best· Driver Rating of 95.5, eighth-best· 1962 Laps in the Top 15 (66.8), eighth-most· 447 Quality Passes, 10th-most